costco rent a car

Costco Rent A Car

To determine if Costco rental car discounts are really the best deal, we looked into the prices of Costco rental cars, and compared those rates with web rates available on AutoEurope.com. For this test, we have chose Rome FCO airport as the pickup and drop-off location (CDW car rental insurance is mandatory in Italy, and both Costco Travel and Auto Europe include it in the listed rate, which is great for travelers who value transparency in pricing).

Costco Rent A Car

I compared rental car prices on Costco Travel, Hotwire, and the Chase travel portal. The results showed Costco travel prices were either the cheapest or very competitive to the other sites. And Costco Travel reservations are flexible, so you can cancel at anytime without paying a fee.

Costco Rent A Car

In your Montreal example for a full size car, Hotwire is $1 cheaper than Costco, but you show and say that Costco is the cheapest. I usually use Costco, the only downside is that it is only four companies.

Costco Rent A Car

The first thing to notice here is that despite working with multiple suppliers around the world, Costco only offers car rentals out of Rome FCO with a single supplier, Avis (more on that later). At $232.87 for a week-long, compact car rental out of Rome FCO, Avis had the cheapest, and only rate in the Costco rental car search.

Costco Rent A Car

As you can see above, the searches on both Costco Travel and Auto Europe were identical, looking for a rental car to be picked up on April 4, 2016 at 10am at Rome FCO, with a drop-off date of April 11, 2016 at 10am at Rome FCO. For this comparison we looked at rates for a compact class vehicle. First up are the car rental search results from Costco Travel:

Costco Rent A Car

Beyond the comparison shown above, it’s important to note that Costco car rental discounts require a membership that costs $50 a year (minimum), an additional factor that many forget to consider before determining where to find the best rates. You may want to be sure you’re taking advantage of your membership and book your rental car with Costco Travel, but it’s in your best interest to compare prices on AutoEurope.com before you book.

Keep in mind, you must be over the age of 25 to book a rental car through Costco Travel. For folks under 25, check out my post about how to get the lowest rental car prices.

When you book through Costco, you can directly link your car rental loyalty number during the booking process if it’s with Avis, Budget, or Enterprise. And you should be able to add your reservation to your Alamo account after you book. This means you can earn points and skip to the front of the car rental line!

Vacation packages often include airport transportation or a rental car depending on the destination. Airfare can also be added to any package. When booking, members should look for packages with “Included Extras” such as a resort credit, potential room upgrade, breakfast or Costco Cash Card.

This is where you’ll probably find the most discounts because Costco Travel will price compare rental cars between Alamo, Avis, Budget and Enterprise right on its site, so you can pick the cheapest option. The site’s “Low Price Finder” says it scans all “applicable coupons, codes and discounts” to find the best price available.

The rating is based on information that has been compiled by Costco Travel buyers and might differ from other references.Property offers the ultimate in elegance and sophistication, with highly personalized service and hospitality.Property offers some, but not all, of the features found in the five-compass rating.Property offers upscale design and décor, superior dining venues, manicured grounds, and a high level of service and hospitality.Property offers some, but not all, of the features found in the four-compass rating.Property offers above-average accommodations, service, comfort, facilities and grounds.Property offers some, but not all, of the features found in the three-compass rating.Property offers basic accommodations, décor, facilities and grounds.

Plus, when you book through Costco Travel, you can add your reservation information to AutoSlash. I’ve written how this free service is an amazing way to save money if prices drop.

Keep in mind, Hotwire does NOT always tell you the name of the car rental agency and the exact car model until you pay for the rental. But the benefit is they partner with several more rental car companies, including Sixt.

The best part is that you can reserve a car and cancel it without incurring any pesky fees. Prices change often, so if a customer checks back on rates to find that they have dropped, he or she can rebook at the lowest price available.